BrideofFrankenstein’s Crazy Eyes Will Haunt You (and Mondo) Forever

Look deep into the wild, penetrating eyes of this Bride of Frankenstein, and you will know that she does not love you, and in fact she never will.

The mesmerizing new painting, by Canadian artist Jason Edmiston, perfectly captures the insane rejection that greeted Frankenstein’s accursed Monster in 1935 film Bride of Frankenstein. You can see how Edmiston carefully cultivated the crazy eyes, the oh-so-perfect lips and the lightning-streaked hair in the photos in the exclusive gallery above: The images show the artwork’s progression from line drawing, through layer after layer of vivid colors, to the final haunting image.

It’s a look you won’t soon forget, just as the great Universal Monsters of the ’30s, ’40s and ’50s made an indelible impact on Edmiston and other artists and horror fans.

“I remember watching Frankenstein on TV as a kid, and sympathizing with the monster,” Edmiston said in an e-mail statement to Wired. “He was an outcast, misunderstood and just wanted to make friends, but he had a short fuse. If you messed with him, he would become enraged. Sounds like adolescence to me.”

Now the enduring legacy of those classic Universal creatures — Frankenstein and his unwilling mate, Dracula, The Wolf Man, The Mummy and others — is being saluted in an art show at Mondo Gallery in Austin, Texas, featuring Edmiston’s Bride as well as work by artists like Martin Ansin, Rick Baker, JC Richard, Ken Taylor and Kevin Tong. (You can see master movie poster artist Drew Struzan’s contributions on the Hero Complex blog.)

So, what’s the appeal of the Universal Monsters, all these decades later?

“Few film franchises have persevered as well over time as the Universal Monsters have,” said Mondo’s Mitch Putnam in a press release. “There’s just something so dynamic and special about the characters. We’ve done our very best to work with artists that really believe in the importance of these films. I do not think monster fans will be disappointed.”

Edmiston also praised the classic horror films’ continued relevance.

“Their visual designs are simple, iconic and beautiful,” he said. “They have not been topped. They are great examples of economical design, with just enough costume to create unique, interesting silhouettes, without any unnecessary decoration, combined with skilled actors with great faces. Great inspirational material for art.”

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